Leo VI the Wise

Leo VI, who lived from 19 September 866 to 11 May 912, was Byzantine emperor from 886 to 912, the second sovereign of the Macedonian dynasty, though his paternity was ambiguous even at the time: he was officially the son of Basil I but was possibly the illegitimate child of Michael III. Well read, he earned the epithet the Wise for his scholarly pursuits and intellectual achievements, even as his reign saw significant military setbacks, with defeats in the Balkans against Bulgaria and in Sicily and the Aegean against Arab forces. His reign also witnessed the formal discontinuation of several ancient Roman institutions, such as the separate office of Roman consul. Born to Eudokia Ingerina, he was associated with the throne in 870 and became heir after his older half-brother Constantine died in 879; his relationship with his father Basil I deteriorated significantly, particularly after his mother's death and his own controversial remarriages. Leo died on 11 May 912 and was succeeded by his younger brother Alexander, who had served as co-emperor since 879.